The present invention relates to a new type of pile fabrics, also denoted as velveteen, and more particularly to a pile fabric which is extensible or stretchable to a certain extent in weft direction.
Pile fabrics are well known. They are manufactured by inserting of additional, loop forming thread systems into a ground fabric during weaving. Based on the kind of the additional threads, warp velveteens or weft velveteens can be distinguished. In weft velveteens, weaving first produces a plain fabric in that pile picks intended for the formation of floats are additionally used to the ground wefts. The pile is then obtained by subsequent cutting the floats at a point along their length so that the height of the pile corresponds to the length of the cut floats. Well known pile fabrics are plush, velvet and tufted carpets.
Covering fabrics for furniture and seating accommodations, called upholstery clothes, in particular car seats, must withstand high stresses. They are subject to specially strong stress and strain, especially to high mechanical load and high abrasion and must further be soil repelling. As a covering material, acrylic and polyamide velveteen have been found suitable where the pile picks are woven into a staple fiber ground fabric. In order to achieve the elasticity of the fabric necessary for pulling it over the corners and edges of the piece of furniture or the seat, weft and/or warp contain elastomeric fibers ("Lycra") and/or textured garns. Such a velveteen is disclosed in GB-A-2 021 166 where also a general discussion of the art of velvet manufacture, including the commonly used terms and definitions, can be found.
Such pile fabrics must generally be reinforced, as it is known from tufted carpets, by a backing layer, for example of an acrylate or polyamide binder, in order to prevent the single bound pile naps from being drawn out of the ground fabric. Such fabric are e.g. disclosed in GB-A-2 179 067.
Such pile fabrics for the use as seat cover materials, especially in car or boat seats, have disadvantages. The manufacture is difficult and expensive due to the use of elastomeric threads, even if cotton fibers are used together with elastomeric threads. Furthermore, the light fastness of the pile fabric, when dyed with dyestuffs normally used for acrylics and polyamids, is often not sufficient, as it is well known to most car drivers. Furthermore, the seating comfort is unsatisfactory due to the absolutely hydrophobic properties of the synthetic fibers and their electrostatic charge.
EP-A3-0 228 026 discloses a pile fabric which is however a warp pile material; the ground fabric contains up to 65% of cotton and is therefore not very much mechanically resistant. It is not stated whether this fabric has an elasticity in weft direction.